MAG duo features two highly regarded Australian improvising musicians, Stephen Magnusson  on guitar and Rajiv Jayaweera on drums. These two instrumentalists will perform a selection of improvised pieces based on themes by Magnusson, Waits and Walker. “Rapport that glows” the Age …..“This was music that quite literally glowed, that it was so beautiful it almost made the audience afraid to applaud” The Age

MJFF Opening Night Friday April 29th

The Melbourne Recital Centre Salon 7.30pm $30/24 + bf online and at the door

Stephen Magnusson –guitar

Rajiv Jayaweera – drums

Stephen Magnusson is one of the most accomplished, versatile and distinctive musicians in Australia.  Magnusson has performed/recorded with many National and international artists including Chalie Haden’s Music Liberation Orchestra, Tim Berne, Jim Black, Katie Noonan, Michelle Nicole, Assumptions Trio, Mike Nock, Enrico Rava, Arthur Blythe and many others. “Allowing his usually lyrical guitar lines to grow thorns he latched on to the surging pulse behind him, coaxing it into a ball of almost uncontrolled energy that left the stage smoking like gunfire”. Sydney Morning Herald

www.mag.net.au

Make Up Sex comprise of one Sophia Brous and one Tarquin Manek. Initially based upon improvised guttural vocalisations of feelings of (sexual) tension and release, in recent times the duo have evolved their shows into avante pop spectacles that move between brutal vocal contortions and sugar-sweet melodic wanderings. Entirely improvised, Make Up Sex lay themselves bare with only their voices and bodies to guide them..

Appearing at Big Arse Sunday, May 8th Café 303 2-9PM $25/$20 + b/f online, $30/$25 at door

Sophia Brous (voice, junk)

Tarquin Manek (voice, junk)

www.myspace.com/musicofmakeupsex

Led by two relative newcomers to the Australian scene, Andrew Brooks (saxophone) and Berish Bilander (piano/keys), Motion strives to produce a sound that is both raw and multifaceted. A shared interest in jazz, as well as 20th century classical music, ambient sounds and progressive rock, serves as an eclectic platform for Motion’s original compositions. The quartet, completed by Hugh Harvey (drums) and Sam Zerna (bass), rely on intense listening to freely interact and improvise new music on previously rehearsed material. This performance will feature regular Motion collaborator, Brett Thompson (WA).

Thursday May 5th Dancing Dog Cafe/Bar 7pm $10 at the door

Andrew Brooks – Saxophones

Berish Bilander – Piano/nord

Sam Zerna – Bass

Hugh Harvey – Drums

Brett Thompson – Guitar

Created in 2008, Motion has since become a regular fixture in the Melbourne music scene and has toured extensively throughout Australia. The band was invited to Perth in 2009 to be part of the TURA New Music Festival. In early 2010, the band released their debut album ‘Presence’ featuring guest performances by vocalist Gian Slater and guitarist Brett Thompson. ‘Presence’ received critical acclaim and gained widespread airplay including Australia’s flagship Jazz program, ‘Jazztrack.’ To promote their album, Motion toured the east coast in July 2010 and recently signed a distribution deal with the creative-music network and label, Listen/Hear Collective.

Critical Acclaim:“Motion has an ambience all its own, yet transcends the merely ambient (since that term is so often applied to bland, vanilla, soporific keyboardem). Better yet, their compositions allow plenty of room for improvisation and they seem determined to continually strive to push themselves to the very fringe of their comfort zones.” www.australianstage.com (lloyd bradford syke)

“A tone of cool tranquillity, underpinned by contemporary jazz perceptions.” - Weekend Australian

www.motionmusic.com.au

www.listenhearcollecive.com

Over the past two years Nat has been creating and developing her own style of solo performance, incorporating acoustic percussion instruments, loops and various forms of digital manipulation. Nat’s music explores intersections between acoustic and electronic environments, and between composition and improvisation.

Saturday May 7th Dancing Dog Café/Bar Footscray 3pm $10 at door

Nat Grant – Percussion/Electronics

Nat Grant has recently completed a Masters of Music (performance) at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. She works predominantly as a freelance artist and her experiences as a performer encompass orchestral, theatre and session work, as well as new compositions for puppetry, theatre and dance. Recently, Nat was the sound designer for an independent production, Mrs Vincent Price, for a three-week season at the Carlton Courthouse, La Mama Theatre.

http://www.myspace.com/natskyplaysdrums

http://www.youtube.com/natskyplaysdrums

http://www.soundcloud.com/natskyplaysdrums

MJFF Warehouse Party provides the launch for the new osh10 single ‘Black Widow’ – Take electronica, mash it up with trip hop via jazz, funk and pop and you might find yourself in the musical world inhabited by osh10 (aka Aimee Chapman), layering up chameleon vocals, funked out bass, beats, synth and effects to create a sound that has been likened to everyone from Bjork and Portishead to the 70s funk of Parliament. With a brand new album due for release later in 2011, osh10 has been described as “a supernova burning brightest before the star burns out” and is destined to scorch out her own musical path.

Aimee Chapman on vocals/laptop/keys  plus drum and bass rhythm section.

Gavin Parker – bass

Tim Coghill – drums

Sat April 30th 22 Ovens Street Brunswick 8.30pm $10 at the door

Aimee found music, or rather music found Aimee, in a rather round-about way. Early years were spent doing ballet classes, musical theatre and acting classes, which led to a degree in Creative Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts, where Aimee was able to let loose her warped sense of humour and imagination through majors in creative writing and media theory. After dabbling in writing occupations such as editing and copywriting, Aimee found herself dabbling with piano, guitar and laptop writing music more often than doing her paid work. Music soon proved far too magnetic and Aimee undertook a Diploma in Jazz/Popular music, which then led to a Bachelor of Music and the birth of her alter ego- osh10.

osh10 (a name derived from the cinematic masterpiece that is Austin Power’s Goldmember) has performed at festivals and venues across Australia such as The Palais Theatre, The Northcote Social Club, The St Kilda Festival, Kimberley Croc Fest, and was invited to showcase at New Music west in Vancouver Canada in 2008.  2011 will see the release of her second album, a return to touring including her first ever shows in Japan, the drinking of much coffee, much laughter at jokes that possibly don’t invite such exuberant mirth and a plethora of musical adventures.

Sneak Single Peek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrpjw_r1gCU

Visit the world of osh10 at:

www.osh10.com

www.myspace.com/osh10music

http://www.facebook.com/pages/osh10/6009264970

Straddling the worlds of jazz, electronica and ritual music, Peon’s musical excursions utilise hi-tech gadgets and folkloric instruments creating an enthralling, transcendental experience of music made in the moment – a double drummer electro improv two man festival of exploratory sound. Peon came together in 2009 initially as a “research project” exploring the challenges of realtijme improvising between man and machine.  Sam was at the time undertaking post-grad study in this field, at the Victorian College of the Arts and asked Ronny to play the skeptic and to find holes in his musicmaking theories.

Sam Price – drums/laptop/synths/voice

Ronny Ferella – drums/melodica/ngoni/analogue effects

Saturday april 30th 22 Ovens Street Brunswick 8.30pm $10 at the door

Ronny Ferella 1967 drummer/composer/educator

Moving to Melbourne in 1996 Ronny has worked as a drummer, band leader and composer in many and varied musical settings.  He has involved himself in contemporary & traditional jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, folk/ethnic musics, improvised music and electro/ acoustic music.

He has over ten CD releases as a leader or co-leader and has toured nationally and internationally with his own projects and as a sideman.  Tour and gig highlights include: (as leader) Umbria Jazz Festival (Italy) Pori Jazz (Finland) Java jazz, Wangarratta, Melbourne InternationalJazz festival, Canberra Folk festival.  As a composer Ronny mainly works with improvising musicians interested in creating a music where the written and improvised work side by side.  As sideman gig highlights include North Sea, Tokyo, JakJazz (Korea) Jazz Festivala, Adelaide and Brisbane Festival as well as tours to Tawain, Turkey, Estonia, New Zealand.

Sam Price

Before studying the drums in earnest in his late teens, Sam’s spent much time mixing on two turntables. His father’s career as a radio journalist provided him with convenient access to a Uher reel-to-reel, facilitating happy hours of tape experimentation. This is also how he came to gain access to an early DigiDesign Sound Designer system. The leap to digital proved too much for his dad; Sam was drafted in to make the edits and explore the possibilities of this new technology. It would be years until digital systems would become affordable to the average musician but Sam had plenty to occupy him with learning the craft of playing the drums. Gigs ranging from straight-up rock, through Scottish Kayleigh dances and Jazz club dates followed. Also local and national radio play and sessions included 33 Jazz records and Ninja Tune records. Relocating to Melbourne in 2004, Sam focussed on his primary interests; pushing instrumental technique and the possibilities of emerging digital technologies. Post grad study at the VCA lead Sam to settle on the real-time audio synthesis environment SuperCollider as his main development platform for electro-acoustic interaction and improvisation. He has released music on the Downstream and New Weird Australia labels and composed for theatre (Melbourne Fringe, St Kilda Festival).

http://samprice.net/

http://www.reverbnation.com/peon

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Peon/158729014175923

Electroacoustic adventures with the trumpet, Allotrope is a solo project from multidisciplinary Melbourne composer and trumpeter Peter Knight. Peter began developing digital environments to extend his improvisatory practice during a 2007 composer’s residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada where the work was premiered. He has since performed solo at venues including KuLe (Berlin) Queensland Conservatorium, La Mama Musica, and the Make It Up Club (Melbourne). Peter’s solo work continues, albeit tangentially, his preoccupation with space,understatement, and long form structure and draws inspiration from diverse sources..

Thursday May 5th Dancing Dog Cafe/Bar 7pm $10 at the door

Australian trumpeter-composer Peter Knight is a multidisciplinary musician who has gained wide acclaim for his eclectic approach, which integrates jazz, world music, and experimental traditions. He leads several projects of his own and appears as a soloist in a range of settings, he also composes for theatre and film, and has created sound installations.

Peter appears internationally, with recent highlights including high profile performances with his group Way Out West at Montreal Jazz Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival, and Veneto Jazz Festival. In 2009 Way Out West also toured Korea and Japan including concerts at Takatsuki Jazz Festival. He performs solo (trumpet and laptop) notably at Labor Sonor in Berlin (2009) and the Banff Centre of the Arts (Canada 2007). In 2009/2010 he also performed as part of Erik Griswold’s Wide Alley at Auckland Festival, Sydney Opera House, Vancouver Jazz Festival and Ottawa Jazz Festival.

Peter is the recipient of numerous grants and awards including a recent Victorian Green Room Awards nomination for Best Composition and Sound Design for his score for theatre work, Pin Drop. In 2009 he won (with Way Out West) the Bell Award for ‘Australian Jazz Ensemble of the Year.’ In 2008 he was nominated for the APRA Awards, ‘Jazz Composition of the Year.’ In 2007 he was awarded the Rolston Music Fellowship by the Banff Centre for the Arts, which enabled him to take up a composer’s residency in October 2007. Peter’s work has also been supported by grants from The Ian Potter Trust, Australia Council for the Arts, Arts Victoria, Alan C. Rose Trust, Australia/Korea Foundation, Australian International Cultural Council, and The Myer Foundation. He was the 2005 recipient of the Keith and Elizabeth Murdoch Travelling Fellowship (VCA).

Peter has released six albums of his compositions in the last eight years with ensembles including, Way Out West, his eponymously titled quartet, and the 5+2 Brass Ensemble. His releases have received international acclaim: “Honest, inventive and original.” Hour Magazine Montreal. “Combines different styles seamlessly, [and] succeeds where so many other world music fusion groups fail.” Vancouver Sun. “An unusual and beguiling sound.” Cadence Review (New York). “Quietly forceful.” The Age. He has been commissioned to compose various works, has scored for short films, created sound installations (notably for sound art company Double Venturi). He has also worked in theatre, most recently as sound designer/composer for Tamara Saulwick’s Pin Drop (produced by Arts House August 2010).

www.peterknightmusic.com

www.myspace.com/allotropemusic

Described as “a small bundle but stork-like bringers of joy”, Ben Hauptmann and Raj Jayaweera are keeping their covers under raps:  they have a great surprise value that they would currently like to hold onto!  Previously a trio with Sam Anning, they have continued on as a duo since Sam left for NYC late last year.  Ben’s “richly looped guitar/s, two, three, four layers with crisp or overdriven solos blaring away on top, and his joyous communication with Raj will indeed be an adventurous outing . Twangy, screaming, swinging, with a rockabilly presence played true to style, simply correct, easily, unforced and masterfully, prepare to be delightfully surprised!

Thursday May 5th Uptown Jazz Café : 8pm (doors 7.30pm)$18 at the door

Ben Hauptmann – guitar

Raj Jayaweera – drums

Following their 2010 release ‘The Singularity’ The Sam Bates Trio return with new compositions that further exploit the rapport between these three distinctive voices.

“The spaces created by the original compositions are both dense and dynamic. Drummer Sam Bates shows his diverse influences here while achieving a place on his own turf. Listen in now” – John O’Brien

Monday May 2nd Café 303 9pm $8 at the door

Sam Bates – Drums

Marc Hannaford – Piano

Phillip Rex – Bass

Bosak’s eclectic Beijão, (Big Kiss) features a ballistic horn section and an energetic all star band with an unpredictable improvisational edge.Tania Bosak is one of Australia’s foremost interdisciplinary musicians and performers. Known for her playful high energy percussion and vocals, Bosak brings together a 7 piece all star line up with a ballistic horn section, and an unpredictable improvisational edge.

Saturday May 7th Open Studio 8pm $12 at the door

Tania Bosak percussion and vocals

Phil Bywater sax flute

Justin Dwyer drums

Anita Hustas Acoustic bass

Andrew James piano

Kynan Robinson Trombone

Adam Simmons Baritone

Born in Australia to Croatian migrants and a musician father who defected to Belgium in 1958, her musical influences have continued to be as diverse as her performing career as a professional actor, director,  stand up comic and diverse musician.
She Studied Performing Arts at Deakin University, drum and dance at the Goorgolou Ballet in Senegal, Korean drum and dance at The SamulNori Academy on a Churchill Fellowship, and after several trips over 12 years to the USA studying Haitian, and Brazilian drumming, Tania also qualified as an Advanced TaKeTiNa Rhythm Facilitator with master percussionist Reinhard Flatischler (Austria).Tania continues to run TaKeTiNa workshops and assist Reinhard on workshops and trainings as a Senior Assistant.
As well as being busy with her own ensembles, Tania also plays  percussion and sings with gypsy-latin-swing band, Rektango, Afro-funk band, Big Fela led by Phil Bywater, and is drummer and vocalist with Balkan Eastern European group, The Shlivovitz Orchestra.

www.taniabosak.com

www.myspace.com/taniabosak

Tinkler/Pankhurst/McLean

Scott Tinkler revisits the trio format featuring compositions from his highly acclaimed trio releases, Dance of Delulian, Shrike Like and Sofa King. This trio will feature the youthful exuberance of Sam Pankhurst on bass and James McLean on drums.

Scott Tinkler Trumpet

Sam Pankhurst Bass

James McLean Drums

Appearing : Sunday May 8th at Cafe 303, Big Arse Sunday with Julie O’Hara Heptet, Dale Lindrea, Collider, Make up Sex and 12 Tone Diamonds. Café 303 2-9PM $25/$20 + b/f online, $30/$25 at door

Australian trumpeter Scott Tinkler has been performing professionally since 1983 and is well known for his many brilliant incarnations as an ensemble player, recording and touring with such groups as the Australian Art Orchestra, Mark Simmonds Freeboppers, The Paul Grabowsky Quintet and The Dale Barlow Quintet as well as with international artists such as Mark Helias, Joe Lovano, Betty Carter, Branford Marsalis, Han Bennink, Billy Harper, Arthur Blythe, Cindy Blackman, Guru Kaaraikkudi Mani etc.

It was, however, his debut as a bandleader in 1993 that really brought him to the attention of both the media and the public. His Melbourne based Scott Tinkler Quartet with Grabowsky, Rex and Lambie received rave reviews for live performances and the quartet’s two CD’s The Back Of My Head and Hop To The Cow both received ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Awards) nominations. With a move to Sydney Scott’s next project, The Scott Tinkler Trio, with Simon Barker and Adam Armstrong, continued the tradition of excellence with inspired recordings and performances of Tinkler’s strong original music. The trios much awaited ARIA nominated CD Dance Of Delulian was released in October 96 and established Scott as a powerful stylist and composer; not only Australia’s leading trumpet player but a major force in contemporary music.

In 1997 Scott received an Australia Council grant to tour Europe and America. This venture culminated in the recording of the CD Sofa King at New York’s Knitting Factory. On completion of this tour Tinkler spent the next 18 months in Europe performing, recording and teaching before returning to Australia where his Trio’s third CD Shrike Like was released in 1999. With his recent move back to Melbourne, Scott is spending much of his time composing and performing with his Trio as well as providing a unique presence in various Australian new music ensembles including Elision, Hydromus Krysogast and the Australian Art Orchestra.

Scott is now lecturing at the Victorian College of the Arts and Monash University and has given master classes at the Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane Conservatoriums, Southern Cross University and the Hong Kong Polytechnique University. Scott was also a guest in New York at the “New School of Jazz” and when in Europe gives master classes at the Den Haag Royal and Rotterdam Conservatoriums in the Netherlands. Scott has received grants and invitations to perform through out the world in many diverse and rewarding situations in countries such as England, China, The Netherlands, America, Vietnam, France, India, Germany, New Caledonia, Norway and Tanzania.

www.stinkler.com/scottimage.html

Victoria University Music

This performance features current and graduate students from both the TAFE and Undergraduate music performance courses at Victoria University with special guests. The courses incorporate the traditions of contemporary music performance and related technology in an academic and vocationally orientated environment. Performances will feature original compositions by a range of students that cover a broad range of techniques, styles and instruments.

Bennetts Lane 7.30pm $12/$10 at the door

Anticevic/O’Sullivan quartet featuring Lorraine Anne

Lorraine Anne – Vocals

Luke Anticevic – Guitar

Steven Hornby – Bass

Fionn O’Sullivan – Piano

John Milton – Drums

Jarek

Floyd Bone – Bass

Jared Brentnall – Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Samples

Peter Clancy – Electric Guitar

Brett Cusack – Electric Guitar

Bevan May – Glock, Piano, Clarinet

Alimic/Andrade/Brentnall/Stewart quartet featuring Scarlet Daly

Adrian Alimic – Bass

Sebastian Andrade – Saxaphone

Jared Brentnall – Drums

Scarlet Daly – Vocals

Jack Stewart – Piano

Fionn O’Sullivan / Jonathan Zion Duo

www.vu.edu.au

Lava to rock, fossil to fuel, water to steam. Exploring the idea that all forms are temporal and metamorphic Zoe draws links between the transformations that occur within the natural environment with the human form. Using the live adaptation of pre-composed video and object manipulation, Zoe will be projecting visual environments of shifting forms that inhabit both human and geological time frames.

Zoe performs with three of Melbourne’s most creative improvisers, Stephen Magnusson,Stephen Grant and James McLean.

Longplay 8-10pm (doors 7.30pm)  $15 at the door

Zoe Scoglio – Media Artist / Video Projection

Stephen Magnusson guitar

Stephen Grant trumpet

James McLean drums

Zoe Scoglio is a media artist who creates video and sound for public, performance based and site-specific outcomes. Current work involves explorations into transformation and ritual. Zoe incorporates analogue techniques and stage-craft with digital technologies to create environments that bring together equal parts mysticism and eccentric humour. Zoe has exhibited and performed locally and abroad since graduating with a BFA with Honours in Media Arts at RMIT in 2008.  She has recently been accepted into the JUMP mentorship program, received an ArtStart Grant from the Australia Council and is currently collaborating with Polish choreographer Katarzyna Sitarz as part of the Tanja Liedtke Foundation Fellowship.  As well as creating solo and commissioned works Zoe is a curator and collaborator with the Melbourne based art collective, Tape Projects.

www.zoescoglio.com

www.tapeprojects.org